” What good is being the first if I am not holding the door open for the next girl to walk through?”Refilwe Ledwaba.

It comes as no surprise that South Africa ranks among the top five countries with the highest percentage of female pilots. The nation has a rich history of women in aviation dating back to the 1920s, including trailblazers such as Rosamund Everard Steenkamp, Jackie Moddridge, Marjorie Egeton Bird, Doreen Hooper, Yvonne Van den Dool, and many others who have forged, or continue to forge, paths for women in aviation. We pay special tribute to one of the early pioneers, Yvonne Van Der Dool, who made history by becoming one of the first women to obtain a senior commercial license in the 1940s. As we continue our efforts to research, document, and preserve the history of aviatrix in South Africa, we invite anyone with stories or photographs of women who were active in aviation during the early years (1930s, 1940s, etc.) to contact us. These stories are important to ensure that the contributions of these inspiring women are remembered and shared with future generations.